Starting in December, sex god Jonathan Rhys Meyers - who most recently appeared opposite Scarlett Johansson in Woody Allen’s latest, Match Point - will be the face of the P&G-owned Hugo Boss. Rankin-shot print ads will appear in Men’s Health and Blender. Additionally, a Hugo by Hugo Boss Limited Art Edition flanker will be available in 2,000 department and specialty stores starting in February. A gambit to make the label appeal to younger, cooler hipsters, Rhys Meyers marks the first time that Boss has used a celebrity…probably, in part, because of the hefty price tag: rumor has it the actor is pulling in a cool million – annually! - to shill for the brand.

Currently the fragrance appeals to older consumers, a steady - but not sexy - demographic for a brand that wants to wants to up its cutting-edge appeal. "We see a real opportunity with this brand," Don Loftus, president and chief executive officer of P&G Prestige's U.S. division recently told WWD. "Hugo Boss does very strong business on a global scale, but the U.S. fragrance business is underdeveloped. We haven't peaked with it yet…We're aiming for a top-10 ranking for the Hugo Boss franchise [as a whole]."

The fact that P&G is forking over millions for a hipster, indie celeb attests to the pull of celebrity on the proles. While fashion insiders scoff at whether Hollywood A-list’ers actually rise to the level of bonafide tastemakers, the fact is, the masses are obsessed with what celebs do, say, wear, eat – and are associated with. And having someone with the downtown cred of a Rhys Meyers will probably prove most lucrative for P&G...by association. (via WWD)

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